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The Movie: When I was in junior high school, there was a period of time where gym class would often involve...dancing. Sometimes, there was even...square dancing. Nobody was thrilled at the prospect of having to learn dancing, and to call the whole thing awkward is an understatement. Not so with the kids of "Mad Hot Ballroom", who appear to be having a great deal of fun learning the art of ballroom dancing. The kids are the children of a few different schools (although there are many other schools in NYC that participate) who have a dance course. In the case of one particular school, many of the children come from poverty, so the dance program gives them an opportunity that they may not otherwise have. "Mad Hot Ballroom" does show all of the awkwardness that happens when kids are forced to dance at this age. There's definitely some giggles and goofiness, especially when the partners are told to make eye contact with each other. The girls comment on how they feel about boys, and the boys talk about how they feel about girls. Their comments about these subjects and others (when asked what dance they think they are going to learn today in class, one kid goes, "electric slide?") are honest, interesting (they talk about their family lives and growing up) and occasionally, pretty funny. The kids are not too serious about it, but it's entertaining to see them try to learn the dance steps and improve. Some of the kids will go on to compete with kids from other schools, and the teachers are certainly rather intense as they try and prep the kids for a potential run at the championships. They obviously care a great deal about the kids though (one teacher is shown in tears from being so proud of her kids), and want to see them succeed. The movie could have gone into more detail about the kids and their varying backgrounds and experiences (parents aren't really ever shown), but the movie's focus remains on the kids as they learn the various dances. Overall, "Mad Hot Ballroom" is certainly a lively, energetic documentary that's inpirational and compelling. The kids are great characters, and it's easy to cheer them on as some of them end up in the finals. The DVD VIDEO: "Mad Hot Ballroom" is presented in approximately 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen by Paramount Classics. The picture quality is generally pleasant, as sharpness and detail are largely satisfactory. Some minor edge enhancement and shimmer is present, but the source elements are in perfectly fine shape. Colors largely appeared natural, although they could look slightly smeary at times. SOUND: "Mad Hot Ballroom" is presented in Dolby 2.0, but the sound is largely, as expected, documentary-style audio (except for the occasional music track on the soundtrack.) Audio is a little thin at times, but dialogue is still easily understood. Overall, this is a fine enough effort, considering the film's low budget. EXTRAS: Very oddly, there are no supplements. How about a commentary from the kids and/or the filmmakers? A follow-up featurette,or a general "making of"? There were certainly some opportunities to create a special edition for this feature, but instead this is a "bare-bones" release. Final Thoughts: "Mad Hot Ballroom" is a fun, enjoyable and lively documentary that's quite enjoyable. Paramount's DVD edition is somewhat disappointing, with no bonus features, but themovie is still worth a look. 
Film Grade The Film B+ DVD Grades Video 86/B Audio: 85/B Extras: 0/F |